The Dow Chemical Company

Ricky L Tabor

Gerald M Lancaster

Chad A Strait

Melissa J Zawisza

Alan K Schrock

Robert Carswell

James A Allen

Ralph D Priester, Jr

Zdravko P Jezic

James R Porter

Douglas R Moore

Warren A Kaplan

Gene P Young

Cynthia K Groseth

Malcolm F Finlayson

John O Bieser

Martin C Cornell

Paul L Neill

Marty C Cornell

Roy E Morgan, Jr

Thomas I Butler

Michael W Potts

John O Biesser

Bradley L Davis

Polyurethane/polyurea polymers can be electrostatically painted without first being coated with a conductive primer. Disclosed is an improvement in a process for electrostatically painting polyurethane/polyurea polymers, the improvement being to prepare the polymer from a formulation including a non-volatile metal salt conductivity inducing material. The polymers of the present invention can be charged with sufficient charge density to permit efficient paint transfer to the polymer surface. Also disclosed is a composition of at least two adjacent layers, one layer being an outer layer of electrostatically applied paint, and the other an inner layer of polyurethane/polyurea polymer.

Electrostatically painted polymers and a process for making same

Polyurethane/polyurea polymers can be electrostatically painted without first being coated with a conductive primer. Disclosed is a process for electrostatically painting polyurethane/polyurea polymers, the process having a step of including a non-volatile metal salt conductivity inducing material. The conductivity of the polymers of the present invention can allow them to be charged with sufficient charge density to permit efficient paint transfer to the polymer surface. Also disclosed is a composition of at least two adjacent layers, one layer being an outer layer of electrostatically applied paint, and the other an inner layer of polyurethane/polyurea polymer.

Process for electrostatically painting polymers containing a

A novel microporous isocyanate-based xerogel composition is disclosed. The composition can be prepared by a method comprising (1) (1) admixing (a) a polyisocyanate component, (b) a substantially unreactive solvent, and, optionally, (c) a polymerization catalyst, water, an active-hydrogen compound or a mixture thereof, provided that (c) is included wherein (b) does not also function to catalyze polymerization; under reaction conditions sufficient to form a gel; and (2) removing the solvent under non-supercritical conditions sufficient to form a microporous xerogel composition. The compositions can be readily evacuated for use in thermal insulative applications such as vacuum panels, for uses such as appliance insulation, which show superior K-factor values when compared with, for example, conventional rigid polyurethane open-cell foams as used in similar applications.

Microporous isocyanate-based polymer compositions and method of

A method is disclosed for making thermoplastic bicomponent fibers by contacting under thermally bonding conditions (a) a first component being at least one high performance thermoplastic polymer, such as PET, PBT, nylon or the like, and (b) a second component which is olefinic and which forms at least a portion of the fiber's surface characterized by (b) including at least one grafted olefinic polymer, preferably at least one grafted linear ethylene polymer, having pendant succinic acid or succinic anhydride groups; whereby the fiber is dyeable. The bicomponent fibers made by this process can be in a variety of shapes (e.g., round, oval, trilobal, flat, or hollow) and configurations (e.g., symmetrical sheath/core or side-by-side or asymmetrical crescent/moon). The succinic acid or succinic anhydride groups are provided by grafting, respectively, maleic acid or maleic anhydride onto the linear ethylene polymers especially by a process wherein the grafting is done in a twin-screw, co-rotating extruder with the maleic acid or maleic anhydride being injected into a pressured zone of the extruder. The acid containing grafted linear ethylene polymer or polymer blends are dyeable in contradistinction to ungrafted linear ethylene polymers.

Method for making bicomponent fibers

Polyurethane foams can be prepared which have improved retention of insulative properties. The foams are prepared from formulations including a glycerine initiated ethoxylated polyol prepared from a formulation including from about two to about three moles of ethylene oxide per mole of glycerine initiator and/or a tri- to octa-functional substantially linear hydroxy alkane initiated ethylene carbonate ethoxylated polyol prepared from a formulation including from about 2 to about 15 moles of ethylene carbonate per mole of initiator wherein the ratio of moles of ethylene carbonate to initiator functionality is from 0.5 to less than 2.

Polyurethane foams having improved retention of insulative properties

Compositions comprising a non-isocyanate based thermoplastic polymer and a finely divided isocyanate based thermoset polymer are disclosed. The compositions can optionally further comprise an adhesive thermoplastic compatibilizing agent. Finely divided scrap isocyanate based thermoset polymer materials can be used in preparing these compositions, thus lowering manufacturing and disposal costs. A method to prepare these compositions is also disclosed.

Compositions prepared using finely-divided isocyanate based thermoset

Polyurethane foams having improved retention of insulative properties can be prepared using one or more of two novel polyols. One of the polyols is a polyether prepared by reacting a monoepoxide with a compound having the general formula: ##STR1## wherein X is H, Li, Na, K; A is N, S or O; L is a covalent bond or a connecting group having from 1 to 10 carbons; M is any group capable of reacting with an ethylene oxide molecule in the presence of a basic catalyst; and J is an integer from 2 to 8. The other polyol is prepared by (1) admixing ethylene carbonate and one or more hydroxyl functional compounds under reaction conditions sufficient to react the ethylene carbonate and the hydroxyl functional compounds to produce a polyol precursor, and (2) admixing the polyol precursor with diethylene glycol and an anhydride, a dicarboxylic acid, a tricarboxylic acid or mixtures thereof, optionally in the presence of a catalyst.

Polyols useful for preparing polyurethane foams having improved

Ethylene polymers grafted with dicarboxylic acid functionality have synergistically improved adhesive properties and acquire heatability employing RF electromagnetic radiation when blended with a carbon monoxide-containing ethylene polymer. The dicarboxylic acid grafted and carbon monoxide-containing ethylene polymers and blends thereof are particularly useful as adhesive layers in laminate structures where RF heat sealing methods can be employed.

Adhesive, RF heatable grafted polymers and blends

Succinic acid or succinic anhydride grafts of HDPE are blended with LLDPE, especially ethylene/1-octene copolymers, to form blends having useful adhesive properties at elevated temperatures. The succinic acid or succinic anhydride groups are provided by grafting, respectively, maleic acid or maleic anhydride onto HDPE. The resin blends are useful for coating metal foil substrates. The adhesion of the resin blend to the metal foil substrate is particularly good at elevated temperatures (e.g., temperatures above about 60.degree. C.).

Resin blends of maleic anhydride grafts of olefin polymers for extrusion

Multicomponent thermoplastic resin blends are disclosed which have a nonisothermal crystallization half life of less than thirty seconds. Especially preferred are three component resin blends comprising a maleic anhydride grafted HDPE, an unmodified LLDPE copolymer having a density between about 0.905 and 0.93 g/cc, and an unmodified LLDPE copolymer having a density between about 0.89 and 0.92 g/cc. These thermoplastic resin blends can be used as the adhesive layer in multilayer structures. They are especially useful in blown film multilayer structures and they show particularly good adhesion to polar substrates, e.g., EVOH substrates.

Non-isothermal crystallizable adhesive compositions for multilayer

Maleic anhydride can be satisfactorily grafted to polymers at low pressures by feeding the polymer through a multiple screw extruder and injecting the maleic anhydride and a free radical initiator into the extruder. The maleic anhydride and initiator can be pre-mixed in a solvent solution. The solvent and unreacted maleic anhydride can be removed by low pressure devolatilization. The graft copolymer has a yellowness index as measured by ASTM D-1925-70 less than about 10.0 and as measured by ASTM E-313-73 less than about 11.0. Further, between 0.75 and 2.0 weight percent of the graft copolymer comprises maleic anhydride. The graft copolymer can further be blended with an olefinic polymer to yield adhesive thermoplastics suitable for use as food packaging multilayer coextruded films.

Meleic anhydride graft copolymers having low yellowness index and films

Succinic acid or succinic anhydride grafts of linear ethylene polymers are blended with other polymers or resins, e.g. polyesters and the like, to form blends having useful adhesive properties. The adhesive properties are useful in various laminates and in bicomponent fibers which comprise a core of a performance fiber, especially a polyester such as PET or PBT and polyamides, and a sheath of the grafted LDPE, HDPE or LDPE. The succinic acid or succinic anhydride groups are provided by grafting, respectively, maleic acid or maleic anhydride onto the LDPE, LLDPE, and HDPE, especially by a process wherein the grafting is done in a twin-screw, co-rotating extruder with the maleic acid or maleic anhydride being injected into a pressured zone of the extruder. The acid containing grafted polymer is dyeable in contradistinction to ungrafted polymer.

Maleic anhydride grafts of olefin polymers

Maleic anhydride graft copolymers having low yellowness index and films

Maleic anhydride can be satisfactorily grafted to polymers at low pressures by feeding the polymer through a co-rotating, twin-screw extruder and injecting the maleic anhydride and a free radical initiator into the extruder. The maleic anhydride and initiator can be pre-mixed in a solvent solution. The solvent and unreacted maleic anhydride can be removed by low pressure devolatilization.

Method of grafting maleic anhydride to polymers

A retro Diels Alder assisted polymer grafting process in which a Diels Alder adduct is mixed with a polyolefin or polyvinyl polymer substrate and thermally decomposed to form an ethylenically unsaturated monomer which grafts onto the polymer substrate. The monomer conforms generally to the formula R.sub.1 R.sub.2 C.dbd.CHR.sub.3 in which R.sub.1 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl, R.sub.2 is hydrogen, methyl, ethyl or vinyl and R.sub.3 is a hydroxyl, carboxyl, cyano, formyl, acetyl or propanoyl. The Diels Alder adduct substantially decomposes at a temperature of about 120.degree.-300.degree. C., but does not substantially decompose below about 120.degree. C. The polymer substrate is preferably high-density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, ethylene-propylene rubber, polypropylene, polystyrene or styrene-butadiene block copolymers. The grafting is induced by, for example, heat, catalyst and/or high shear conditions. Optionally, the polymer mixture is devolatilized to remove any unreacted Diels Alder adduct and decomposition products thereof.

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Lake Jackson, TX, United States of America

Ricky L Tabor